Synonyms of meager

meager

adjective

ˈmē-gər 

variants or meagre

as in sparse

less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable

ever since he started the diet, his dinners have been more meager than he would like

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sparse
• scarce
• poor
• scant
• scanty
• insufficient
• skimpy
• lowest
• lacking
• short
• inadequate
• stingy
• slender
• exiguous
• light
• thin
• minimal
• small
• slim
• sparing
• spare
• hand-to-mouth
• mere
• thin on the ground
• skimp
• least
• deficient
• slightest
• bare-bones
• wanting
• sterile
• littlest
• barren
• bare
• unfruitful
• slight
• unproductive
• infertile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• sufficient
• ample
• abundant
• generous
• plentiful
• copious
• enough
• bountiful
• satisfactory
• liberal
• rich
• tolerable
• fruitful
• plenteous
• fertile
• prolific
• fat
• lavish
• extra
• excess
• bursting
• luxuriant
• fecund
• surplus
• flourishing
• thriving
• proliferative
• teeming
• blooming
• swarming

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective meager differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of meager are scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

When is scant a more appropriate choice than meager?

The synonyms scant and meager are sometimes interchangeable, but scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

When would scanty be a good substitute for meager?

The words scanty and meager can be used in similar contexts, but scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When can skimpy be used instead of meager?

While in some cases nearly identical to meager, skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

When might spare be a better fit than meager?

The meanings of spare and meager largely overlap; however, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

In what contexts can sparse take the place of meager?

The words sparse and meager are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of meager

With those monumental revisions, the meager job gains in June were the weakest since December 2020, the last time the labor market had monthly job losses. —Cnn.com, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025

In other words, low unemployment could keep the Fed from reducing rates soon despite meager job gains, Pearce said. —Paul Davidson, USA Today, 31 July 2025

At current levels, COKE is still paying out a meager 15% of its 2024 earnings as dividends. —Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Even on Switch 2 hardware, the vanilla Kirby and the Forgotten Land is capped at a meager 30fps, so this framerate bump will be much appreciated. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025